Electric signaling apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. B.V HERZOG 81; S..S. WHEELER.

ELECTRIC SIGNALINGA APPARATUS.'

No. 573,591.l

Patented-Dec. 22, 1896.

w w n w n YJJ Mad,

(No Model.) l2 sheets-sheet 2.

I'. B. HERZOG & S. S. WHEELER.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.v

PatentedvD'eo INSERT Him: BLANK CARD Bring the point Qf the arrow towhat you want,

then Press the red. push button `firmLy once. t

OBSERVE! the hand `{lie back when your wan-t is known.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX BENEDICT HERZOG AND SCHUYLER S. VHEELER, OF NEXTT YORK, N. Y.,ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE HERZOG ELECTRIC APPLIANCECOMPANY, OF NEV ELECTRIC SIGNA YORK.

LING APPARATUS.

fr) {LZ/f whom it may concer/L.-

Be it known that we, FELIX BENEDICT HERZOG and SCHUYLER S. WHEELER,citizens of the United States, residing in the city of New York, Stateof New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in ElectricSignaling Apparatus, Circuits, and Methods, of which the following isaspecification.

Letters Patent No. 289,834, issued to said Herzog December 1l, 1883,describe an automatic signaling apparatus applicable to many differentuses, such as telephone-exchange systems, district-telegraph and privatecircuits, hotel service, &c., the principal feature of which is that theinstrument may be properly set by a person desiring to signal to adistant point, and is so constructed that the desired signal is not sentat the' moment of setting the instrument, (as is the case in instrumentsof the kind known as transmitters,) but the apparatus reta-ins thesignal as set until itis released or caused to operate, directly orindirectly, by the person who is to receive the signal, at a time whenhe is ready to receive it, whereupon the signal is automaticallytransmitted to such receiver without further action on the part of thesender. These instruments, being capable of being set so as to transmitdiiferent sign als or combinations of signals, enable the sender toconvey any desired information, Within certain limits, to the receiver,the time of receiving such signal, however, being entirely under thecontrol of the receiver after the signal has been properly set by thesender. In this and other pending and future applications suchinstruments are called latentsignal trans1nitters,for the reason thatwhen set to signal they remain inoperative and hold the signal untilthey are caused to operate from the receiving-station. Letters PatentNo.292,115, dated January 15, 1885, issued to said Herzog, show anothertype of the latent-signal transmitter. This differs from the rst in thatthe signal is caused to operate positively by an electromagnetic motorinstead of negatively' by the reiease of a springactuated train, asdescribed in the first-mentioned patent. There is also described andclaimed in the patentl of December 11, 1883,

arent No. 573,591, dated December 22,1896.

. Serial No. 168,530. (No model.)

constructed to transmit successively two signals or groups of impulses,each of which is separately variable, with a dividing-signal between thetwo, and this instrument is provided with two hands or setting devices,one of which can be set to determine Lne lirst signal transmitted andthe other of which can be separately set to determine the second signaltransmitted, the information or call being thus transmitted by differentcombinations of these two signals, to each of which may be attached acertain conventional meaning.

A pending application filed by F. Benedict Herzog November 20, 188i, anddivided and the division tiled again on March 7, 1885, describes andclaims a signaling apparatus provided with a dial bearing severaldifferent sets or groups of indications arranged in subtially radial andconcentric lines coperating with an indicator, which indicates an entirerow or group instead of a single indication, as is customary insignal-transmitters. Additional means are provided whereby the receivingoperator is made aware of the particular indication desired.

Our present invention relates partly to improvements on theabove-mentioned apparatus; and it consists, iirst, in combining with acompound or double-signal transmitter such as described in Herzogspatent, N 0.289,834, of December 11,1883, (whether of thespring-actuated latent-signal-transmitter type therein described, orwhether of the magnetic Inotor-actuated form shown by him in Patent No.292,115 of January 15, 1884, or of the ordinaryspring-actuated-transmitter type,) a new form of multiple dial ordesignator resembling the one referred to above, which is provided withseveral rows or sets of indications or calls and a common pointer soarranged that one of the signals or part of the compound signalautomatically transmitted indicates which row is being employed and theother signal or part transmitted indicates the particular indication ofthe row selected, thus greatly increasing the transmitting capacity ofthe instrument without lengthening the signals transmitted and at thesame time greatly facilitating the operation; secform of transmittinginstrument which is IOO ondly, in a new form of setting device forinstruments transmitting more than one separately-variable signal ateach transmission, whereby the act of setting a single movable pointerat the proper want or division determines the different signalstransmitted, thereby dispensing with the necessity for setting a secondpointer; thirdly, in providing` a latent-signal transmitter with meanswhereby when the pointer has been moved too far in one direction it canbe moved back by simply reversing its motion without the necessity ofpushing a distinct button or releasing device, as was the case with theforms described in my before-mentioned patent; fourthly,in certaindetails of construction, organization, and methods hereinafterdescribed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view looking upward of the instrument, ofwhich Fig. 2 is a front view showing its face or dial removed. Fig. 3 isa View of the dial. Fig. 4 is a front viewI of a detail of the train ofgearing as in Fig. 2, with thefront frame-plate removed. Fig. 5isamoditied forml of the setting arm or pointer.

The transmitter is fixed in the center of a box or case, which we preferto have shaped as shown, and may conveniently be made of castiron. Thetransmitter-train is of the usual construction,.consistingof a 'mainarbor A-, carrying the break-wheel B and ratchet-disk (.,rigidlyattached to it, and aloose gear-wheel D, carrying a pawl which engagesthe ratchet. The arbor A is driven by the coiled spring H. (Shown insection.) The gear-wheel D gears with the pinion and gear E, whichdrives the escapement-wheel F, controlled by the anchor G.

In order to control the transmitter by an electro magnet, as describedin the previous patent referred to, we within the case an electromagnet. The armature K is pivoted on an arbor turning in thetrain-frame, and is placed so that its other end blocks theescapement-anchor G when the armature is back,as indicated in thedrawings. The arma-- ture drops and-stays back by its own weight, butwhen drawn up by the electro magnet its other end is depressedsufficiently to clear the anchor and allow it to vibrate.

The armature K carries a finger or projection 71:, which bears upon adrum or disk L on the arbor of the escapement-wheel, and a segment ofthis drum is cut away on one side to allow the finger to move nearer thearbor and the armature thus to drop back, in which case it occupies theposit-ion shown. The break-wheel B is provided with twenty-three teethand the train of gearing is so arranged by proportioning the teeth thatthe drum L makes one turn every time the break-wheel advances one toothand occupies the position shown, so as to present itsrecess and not tosupport the armature when each tooth of the break-wheelis in electricalcontact with the spring. Consequently the drum L acts to support thearmature mechanically during the breaks in the circuit while the notchesare passing under the spring, at which time the armature would otherwisedrop; but it allows the armature to drop back and thus lock theescapement whenever one of the notches is in contact with the spring.During the signal, therefore, the armature remains up unless the circuitis broken by some other means than the break-wheel.

The break-wheel B is not rigidly attached to the arbor A, but it isfitted to turn freely upon it., and carries apawl Z), which engages witha ratchet M, attached to the spindle by a pin m passing through its hub.The breakwheel B is held in place against the ratchet M by aspring-washer N, held in place by a screw 'n in the end of the arbor. Acircular head or tube Q is fixed to the break-wheel, as shown, and isprovided with a cap and is slotted on both sides to receive an arm R,which slides radially through this head and tends to spring into orremain ina series of positions by'means of the notches in the arm andthe spring q, xed in the head.

The teeth of the ratchet M are inclined and shaped so that when the armcarrying with it the head is turned backward the pawl h trips over itsteeth and does not carry with it the arbor A, so that this constructionpermits the arm, and with it the break-Wheel, to be setback at any timeby simply turning the arm, in case it has been set at a wrong signal orit is desired to unset the instrument, so as not to have it transmit anysignal at all. \Vhen, however, the arm is set forward, the pawl bcarries with it the ratchet M, turning the spindle and winding up thespring H to that extent. It is to be observed that when the operatorsets back the arm it does not unwind the spring, but when he turns itforward again in setting the instrument it winds the spring stillfarther, so that ultimately, if he continues to set back the hand, thespring H willv become entirely wound up. Then this has occurred, and toprevent this fact from interfering with the setting of the instrument,we attach the fixed end of the spring H to the disk or flat sleeve S,which fits tightly in the rear plate, but is nevertheless made looseenough to be carried around by the spring when it is completely wound upin setting the hand.` Unless the instrument is frequently set back thissleeve S will slip but very little, and consequently it will not wearloose, because every time the instrument sends its signal after beingset the spring unwinds to the same extent that it stands at one of thewants the arm is set soV ICO IIO

that the spring q has fallen into one of its notches, as represented.The circular frame T, which holds the dial in place, we prefer to haveformed in the form shown, with a series of steps or obstructions t t t,lying directly in the path of the arm R and placed in such positionsthat they arrest the arm R at successive divisions of the signal.

The operation of our instrument will now be understood. Suppose it isdesired to call for cough-cure,77 for example. The arm R is turned andat the same time moved lengthwise radially by the knob till the pointerstands at cough-cure, as shown. This sets the break-wheel in theposition shown, the break-wheel being so adjusted on the arbor that oneof its teeth is directly under the break-spring whenever the pointer isset in any of the radial lines of signals, and the number of teeth ofthe break-wheel of course agreeing with the number of radial groups ofsignals. Theinstrumentbeingthusset,when it is released from anotherpoint by the electromagnet at the will of the receiving-operator thereit u-nwinds and as the arm sweeps over the signals on the dial transmitsa succession of impulses corresponding to the radial division at whichthe arm was set. This signal is then followed by an interval produced bythe blank in the break-wheel shown, and as the instrument continuesunwinding the break-wheel transmits a second series of impulses untilthe arm R fetches up against one of the stopping-pointst t, which stopsthe instrument, and in this particular case the second signal wouldconsist of a singleY impulse, thus denoting that the pointerhad been setat one of the outer circles of indications or wants. By thisconstruction the instrument first transmits a signal corresponding tothe whole group of the wants, at one of which it has been set, and thena signal corresponding to some particular one of that group, thusdenoting and informing the receiver by the combination of the twosignals the particular indication or want intended by the personcalling. Ve have shown our instrument with its dial constructed totransmit thirteen radial sets of calls or wants, each composed of eightseparate calls, but itmay evidently be made to transmit any desirednumber, either more or less, by continuing the two signals or parts ofthe signal in the same general way, and the dial may of course be markedor divided and arranged in many diierent ways for this purpose.

Of course the instrument may be used for other purposes. We havedescribed the above invent-ion as a typical embodiment, but we wish itdistinctly understood that almost all of the elements described can bematerially changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In order to make our claims more clear, we

signal to be transmitted, whether the signal is to be transmittedimmediately after operation or requires some other coperation from astation other than the sending-station. Signal-designator1 is a devicewhereby the sending-operator perceives what the signal is which he issending. In the present apparatus the sliding arm is an important factorin both of the heretofore-described elements, but other forms ofapparatus have been invented by us as well as by Herzog alone, in whichthere is not this direct connection between the material elements whichperform or cooperate in the performance of these functions. Thesignal-divider acts to divide the total number of impulses into twoseries, and in the embodiment shown does this by lengthening the closureof the circuit at a xed stage in the revolution of the wheel, which, inthe present embodimen t, is the main feature of the signal-transmittingmechanism. Each of the above elements, as well as the circuits externalto the box and those within the box and the other adj unctive elements,may be widely varied without departing from our invention.

XVe claiml. The combinatiomin signaling apparatus, of a transmitter; asignal-changer; together with a signal-designator, consisting of anindicating surface or eld, bearing indications grouped in twosubstantially intersecting directions, cooperating with an indicator,one of these movable with respect to the other in such manner as todesignate any desired indication; together with means whereby the signaltransmitted is varied to correspond with the indication, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination, in signaling apparatus,

oi' a transmitter 3 a signal-changer; together with a signal-designator,consisting of a fixed dial bearing indications arranged in groups orseries of two directions, one radial and the other at an angle, to thefirst, and an indicator l radially and concentrically movable, in suchmanner as to designate any indication; together with means whereby thesignal transmitted is varied to correspond with the indication,substantially as described.

3. The combination, in signalinginstrument, of a transmitter; asignal-changer; together with a signal-designator, consisting of a dialbearing groups or series of indications arranged in two directions, theone radial and the other circumferential, and an indicator n lO IIO

movable in such manner as to designate any indication; together withmeans whereby the signal transmitted is varied to correspond with theindication, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in signaling instrument, of a transmitter; asignal-changer; together with a signal-designator, consisting of a dialbearing groups or series of indications arranged in parallel rows, andan indicator movable in such manner as to designate any entialdirections, and an indicator radially.

and concentrically movable in such manner as to designatean indicationcorresponding to the signal to be transmitted; together with meanswhereby the signal transmitted is varied to correspond with theindication, substantially as described.

6. The combination ,in signaling apparatus,

of a transmitter; a signal-changer, consisting of a traveler andcontrolling the transmitter; a stopping device comprising iiXedstoppingpoints in the path of travel, and means whereby the traveler isengaged by one of these at a predetermined one of several stages of itsmovement, thereby controlling the signal, substantially as described.

7. The combination,in signaling apparatus, of a transmitter; asignal-changer, consisting of a traveler actuated by a motor, andcontrolling the transmitter, a stopping device comprising a series ofxed stopping-points in the path of travel, together with regulatingdevices whereby said traveler can be set so as to be stopped at any oneof the stops, thereby controlling the signal, substantially asdescribed.

8. Thecombination,insignalingapparatus, of atransmitter; and asignal-changer, consisting of a traveler actuated by a motor andcontrolling the transmitter, a stopping device comprising a series offixed stopping-points in the path of travel and at different radialdistances from a common center, and regulating devices whereby saidtraveler can be set so as to be stopped by any desired one of thestopping-points, thereby controlling the signal, substantially asdescribed.

0. The combination,in signaling apparatus, of a transmitter and asignal-changeigconsisting of a traveler actuated by and adjustable withreference to a central spindle and controlling the transmitter; astopping device comprising a series of iiXed stopping-points in the pathof travel, and in different radii of a circle drawn around the centralspindle,substantially as described.

10. The combination, in signaling apparatus, of atransmitter and asignal-changer,con

sisting of a traveler actuated bya motor and.

stopped at any one of the stops, thereby controlling the signalsubstantially as described.

11. The combination, in signaling apparatus, of a transmitter-and asignal-chan ger,con sisting of a rotating and radially-movable traveleractuated by a motor and controlling the transmitter; a stopping devicecomprising a series of fixed stopping-points in the path of travel, andmeans whereby the said traveler can be adj usted so as to be stopped atany one of these, and thereby limit its circular motion, substantiallyas described.

12. The combination, in signaling apparatus, of a transmitter,comprising a circuitcontrolling wheel constructed to advance a certainnumber of steps before it reaches a signal-dividing point and anotherset thereafter; and a signal-changer, comprising an arm moving withrespect to the wheel-and controlling it, and'adjustable to differentradial positions which determine a irst signal transmitted; and two ormore lixed stops arranged at different points in the path of the arm asit revolves; together with a projection onsaid arm which engages withany desired one of the points and. limits the revolution of thecircuit-wheel and determines the second signal, substantially asdescribed.

13. The combination, in signaling apparatus, of a transmitter,comprising a circuitwheel carried by a spindle; and a signalchanger,comprising a crank for turning said spindle and wheel to dierentpositions; an arrester for limiting the revolution 0f the crank .andspindle, and a projection on the crank radially movable with respect tothe spindle and adapted to engage with the arrester at different points,thereby limiting the movement of the spindle and wheel, substantially asdescribed.

14. The combination, in signaling apparatus, of a transmitter; arevolving spindle; an arm controlling its revolution and also movingwith respect to it; and two or more fixed stopping-points constructed toseverally engage said arm during its revolution, and means fordetermining the engaging-point by the position of the arm, substantiallyas described.

15. The combination, in signaling apparatus, of a transmitter,comprising a revolving spindle carrying a circuit-wheel; and asignal-changing mechanism, comprising an arm moving with respect to thehead of the spindle and provided with position-holding devices, togetherwith two or more fixed stops, respectively engaging said arm accordingto its position, substantially as described.

16. The combination, in signaling apparatus, of a transmitter; asignal-divider; a signal-changer controlling the signal according to theposition of one movablepart thereof; and a signal-designator controlledby the signal-changer, comprising a iield bearing indications and anindex, one of these movable IOO IIO

with respect to the other, and indicating by its position how thetransmitter is set; together with means whereby the signal transmittedis varied to correspond with the indication, substantially as described.

1'7. The combination, in signaling apparatus, of atransmitter;asignal-divider (forseparating a signal transmitted into twoseparately-variable portions); a signal-changer controlling bothportions ofthe signal according to the position of one movable partthereof; together with a signal-designator, comprising a multiple dial,cooperating with an indicator, the indicator forming a part of thesignalchanger; together with means whereby the signal transmitted isvaried to correspond with the indication, substantially as described.

1S. The combination, in signaling apparatus, of a transmitter; asignal-divide1'(forseparating a signal transmitted into twoseparately-variable signals); a signal-designator, comprising a multipledial bearing indications arranged in radial groups, and an indicatormovable with respect to any desired indication on the dial andcontrolling the rst signal transmitted; together with means whereby thesignal transmitted is varied to correspond with the indication,substantially as described.

lf). The combination, in signaling apparatus, of a transmitter; asignal-divider; a signal-designator, consisting of a multiple dialbearing two or more sets of indications arranged in substantially radialor concentric groups or series, and an indicator movable with respect toany indication on the dial, and by that act controlling the signal to betransmitted according to the indication; together with'means whereby thesignal transmitted is varied to correspond with the indication,substantially as described.

20. The combination, in signaling apparatus, of atransmitter; asignal-divider; a signal-designator, comprising a multiple dial bearinggroups of indications radially arranged with respect to a common center;an indicator-arm movable with respect to any desired indication, andturning around said center; and two or more fixed stops located atdifferent radial distances so arranged in the path of travel withrelation to a projecting part of the arm as severally to engage with itat points corresponding, in their distance from the common center, tothe indications at which the arm can be set, substantially as described.

2l. The combination, in signaling apparatus, of a transmitter; asignal-designator, comprising a dial provided with rows of indicationsradially arranged with vrespect to a common center; and an indicator-armmoving radially with respect to this common center, and provided withposition-holding devices retaining it in position to point at anydesired indication of a radial row; together with two or more fixedstops in the path of said arm arranged to limit its revolution atdifferent points according to the position in which it is held; togetherwith means whereby the sign al transmitted is varied to correspond withthe indication, substantially as described.

22. The combination,in a springactuated automatic variable latent-signaltransmitter, of a motor; a Winder therefor; an electromagnetic retainingand releasing device; and an unsetting device whereby the instrument maybe unset mechanically before it is released electrically, said devicebeing controlled by reversing mechanism so organized that the actuationof the Winder in one direction sets the instrument, while its actuationin a reverse direction unsets it, substantially as described.

23. vThe combination, in a spring-actuated automatic variablelatent-signal transmitter, of a motor; a winder therefor; anelectromagnetic retaining and releasing device; and an unsetting devicewhereby the instrument may be unset mechanically before it is releasedelectrically, said device being controlled by a signal-changer; andreversing mechanism so organized that the actuation of the Winder in onedirection prepares the instrument to transmit a certain number ofimpulses, and after it has been set, its actuation in another directionlessens this number, substantially as described.

24. The combinatiom'in signaling apparatus, of a transmitter;signal-setting mechanism; a signal-divider (to separate the signal to betransmitted' at one transmission into two separately-variable portions);and a signalchanger, comprising the movable arm R cooperating withcircuit-controllers, and the position of which determines both signalstransmitted, and cooperates with unsetting reversing mechanism, and isso connected and organized that the reversal of its movement after theinstrument has been set changes the number of impulses of which one ofthe signals is to be composed, substantially as described. l

25. The combination, in signaling apparatus, of a transmitter;signal-setting mechanism; a signal-divider (to separate the signalstransmitted into two separately-variable portions); and asignal-changer, comprising the arm R, movable in two senses, theposition of which, with reference to coperating circuitcontrollersdetermines both signals; and cooperating unsetting mechanism, soorganized and connected that the reversal of the movement of the arm inboth of these senses changes the number of impulses in both signa-ls,substantially as described.

26. The combination, in a signal-transmitter, of the indicator-carryinghub Q, carrying a circuit-wheel B, and pawl b, and turning on themotor-spindle, with a ratchet-disk M, rigidly attached to the spindle,its teeth being shaped so that the break-wheel is carried along when thehub is moved forward, but it I OO IZO

is not so carried when it is moved backward, substantially as described.

27. The combination, in a spring-actuated latent-signal transmitter, ofthe armature which, when unattracted by the magnet 0perates to lock thetrain; the cam L, mounted upon an arbor of the train other than themain; and the lock K, whereby the transmitter-Wheel can be locked in oneof several stages of its revolution, the said lock bearing upon said camso as t0 support said armature close to the magnet mechanically, attimes when it would otherwise drop back on account of a break in thecircuit produced by the signal transmission, and thereby preventing thelocking of the train, substantially as described.

2S. The combination, in a spring-actuated latent-signal transmitter, ofthe motor-actuated train, including an arbor carrying a break-Wheel alocking device; another arbor so geared in the train as to make at mostone revolution for every advance of the breakwheel one tooth; and alocking-cam carried by said arbor, controlling the lock and operatingmechanically to hold the train unlocked during each break in thecircuit, substantially as described.

29.. The combination, in a spring-actuated latent-signal transmitter, ofthe motor-actn- 3o so geared in the'train as to make one revolution forevery advance of the break-wheel one tooth; and a cam L, carried by saidarbor, controlling the lock, and operating mechanically to hold thetrain unlocked during each break in the wheel,substantially asdescribed.

30. The combination, with a latent-signal tran smitter, of amotor-actuated train; alockin g device; and an arbor bearing both thelocking-cam L and the escape-wheel of the train, substantially asdescribed.

31. In a latent-signal transmitter, armotoractuated gear-train arevolving break-wheel; a contact-brush; the cam L; a lock K, so placedwith relation to each other that the contact-brush always closes thecircuit on the break-wheel whenever the lock K, is opposite the hollowon the cam L, substantially as de,- scribed. e

March ll, 1885.

F. BENEDICT HERZOG. SCHUYLER S. WHEELER.

lVitnesses CHARLES G. CURTIS, FRANCIS B. CRocKER. r

